About Africa
How much do we know about Africa?
It is not uncommon to mistake Africa for a country. Despite its vastness and having 54 countries, as well as an explosive mix of cultures and history, most people know too little about this amazing continent. If any, one might sadly connect Africa with poverty, diseases, and other generalizations we all heard in mass media. So let’s step back, set that impression aside, and start afresh!
54
Countries
Up to 2000
Languages Spoken
Around 1.2 billion
of people
Religion
Weather
The Basics
- Africa is the oldest inhabited continent on Earth
- The earliest fossils of recognizably modern Homo sapiens were found in Ethiopia
- The Pharaonic civilization of ancient Egypt is one of the world’s oldest and longest-lasting civilizations
- The population in Africa is the youngest amongst all continents; the median age in 2012 was 19.7 when the worldwide median age was 30.4.
- Africa is the world’s poorest and most underdeveloped continent
* SOURCE: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
Africa’s Treasure
- Africa has eight of the 11 major biomes and the largest-remaining populations of lion, elephant, rhinoceros, cheetah, hyena, leopard and hundreds of other species
- Megafauna like giraffe, zebra, gorilla, hippopotamus, chimpanzee, and wildebeest are unique to the continent and only found here
- Africa has over 25% of the world’s bird species
- The largest waterfall in the world can be found in Africa on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe
- The Nile River is the longest river in the world with a total length of 6,650 kilometers
* SOURCE: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
Modern Cities in Africa
Africa is home to several modern and vibrant cities. Photos below give you an idea of what we mean. This might come as a surprise among first-timers but there’s more to Africa than some endless stretch of dust and hut houses that are often featured in most documentaries.
Cairo, Egypt
Nairobi, Kenya
Luanda, Angola
Lagos, Nigeria
Cape Town and Johannesburg, Africa
Safety and Security
Is it safe to travel to Africa? This is a classic question and unfortunately, the 1st thing everybody asks when talking about Traveling to Africa. The simple answer is YES. From our own experience, the travel destinations we have visited in Africa is generally safe. We have shared our experience on this topic.
Visit Africa if your’re ready for
Real Adventure
Most Visited Countries
In Europe, some of the popular tourist countries are France, Spain, Greece, Italy. In Asia, there’s Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Philippines. In South America, possibly Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. This is based on a lot of factors but generally, they are most known because more people have visited them. The increase in tourism receipts has led to the growth of the tourism industry from hotels, to restaurants, and the availability of flights. So applying the same generalization, here’s our pick in Africa:
Morocco
Egypt
Tunisia
Kenya
South Africa
Top Known Sights
You’ve probably heard some of these places as they are popular among travelers. Though these places are highly recommendable, realize that Africa is home to a huge number of amazing destinations and it won’t be an exaggeration to say that a lifetime is not enough to see if not all, the best of them.
Kruger Park, South Africa
Pyramids, Egypt
Victoria Falls, Zambia
Zanzibar, Tanzania
The Sahara Desert
Top Unique Experiences
it’s unlikely that any of us will get the chance to experience all that Africa has to offer so a good way to do it is to choose by experience. If you’ve already gone on a safari in Tanzania, maybe skip Kruger Park in South Africa and head to Zambia to see the majestic Victoria Falls. Instead of bumming on one beach after another, give yourself a nudge and try to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Wildlife Safari, South and East Africa
Gorilla Tracking, Uganda, Rwanda, Congo
Tribes and Historical Tours
African Cuisines
African Rhythms: Music and Dance
Tourism Readiness
Most countries in Africa are developing. While the high-end tourism market in countries like Botswana, Morocco, and Seychelles are top-notch, there are also places with standards that are below what you should expect. Factors that make traveling convenient such as the existence of paved roads, well-signed posts, availability of internet, reliability of the connection if available, procedures, payment options, and tour guide competence don’t come by default like they do in most developed nations. Hence, the easiest and most convenient option is still through a tour operator, if not all, at least for some parts of the trip.
Access
Flights between countries are generally expensive. The only option apart from flights are buses but this can be a challenge too due to the lack of set timetables and availability of information. Often, you have to connect multiple times to get to your destinations and the HOW of these in-between can be tricky and requires patience and know-how of a seasoned traveler.
Africa is for the old and the young, for first-timers to seasoned travelers. In visiting Africa, All it takes is proper planning.
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